Process for crimping textile threads



April 14, 1959 J. BILLION Y 2,881,504

PROCESS FOR CRIMPING TEXTILE THREADS Filed Feb. 17. 1954 United States Patent Q 2,881,504 PROCESS FOR CRIMPING TEXTILE THREADS Jacques Billion, Lyon, France, assignor to Billion & Cie, Lyon, France, a corporation of France Application February 17, 1954, Serial No. 410,968 Claims priority, application France February 24, 1953 6 Claims. (or. 28-72) When textile threads in general, and threads with continuous fibres in particular, are made up into textile articles by knitting, weaving or the like, they have the disadvantage of being relatively flat," without firmness, and inelastic.

For this reason attempts have been made in very many applications to improve this state of affairs and to impart more elasticity, swelling, and firmness to threads, and consequently to the articles made therefrom.

This result is usually obtained by imparting to the threads a high degree of twist, of the order of 2,000 to 3,000 turns per metre, for example.

These threads are then known as crepe threads.

But, although this process can easily be carried out with certain threads, such as: silk, viscose rayon or wool, and gives good results, it cannot on the other hand be employed in normal working conditions with certain other threads such as those of acetate rayon or those having a superpolyamide base. It is said that these threads do not become creped.

In order to achieve a crepe state, attempts have been made to crepe the thread by a twist imparted in specific conditions, or without overtwisting it, by giving it a sinusoidal or helical profile.

It is obvious that the helical configuration of the thread, similar to that of a cork-screw or a screw, deforms the thread in three dimensions and gives better results than the flat sinusoidal form, which only deforms the thread in two dimensions.

Various processes have been proposed for obtaining threads with a helical profile, but they are expensive and have never had advantageous practical results.

The process according to the present invention has as its object to impart ahelical profile to threads and to the filaments of which they are composed, in order that the textile articles which are producedafrom them will have, amongst other things, a greater elasticity, a more resilient feel, a more flattering and neater appearance, more swelling, and an improved heat-resisting quality.

. The process consists in winding the thread to be deformed at least once about a support, in drawing it by one end when it is thus wound, and in fixing any deformation produced by the said winding while the said deformation is being produced.

The accompanying diagrammatic drawings illustrate, by way of example, several methods of carrying the said process into effect:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view subjected to this process;

Figs. 2 to 5 show three possible constructional forms of apparatus for producing the deformation;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a thread-feeding apparatus.

As shown in Fig. 2, the thread may be deformed by being wound on itself. For this purpose, the thread strand 2 reeled from a support 3 passes by way of pig tails or rollers 4. This thread, now designated by 2a,

of a thread which has been ice returns in the direction opposite to that in which it was unwound, and in so doing is wound at least once about the thread 2. Disposed in this treatment zone 5 is a fixing means for making permanent the deformation undergone by the thread pas-sing therethrough, the thread being then received on a second support 6.

Instead of being wound on itself, the thread which is to be deformed may be wound about another thread which is to undergo a similar deformation. Heating means are provided in the treatment zone for fixing permanently the deformation of the thread.

Two denier threads 8 and 9 (Fig. 3) of polyhexamethylene adipamide are taken, each composed of 23 strands and each having a right-hand twist of 200 turns per metre; each of these or bobbin, as is customary in the textile industry.

These two bobbins 11 and 12 are arranged vertically on a board 13 at ground level.

The two threads leave their respective bobbins at a speed of 15 metres per minute and they each pass individually through a grid-type tensioning means, 10 and 14 respectively, disposed above each of the bobbins and coaxially therewith.

The two threads 8 and 9 then pass through a single eyelet 15 situated slightly above the tensioning means and at an equal distance from each of the latter.

The two threads are then wound one about the other 60 times over a length of about 3 cm., then, after having passed together through a second eyelet 16 placed vertically above the first 15, they are wound separately on two flanged bobbins 17 and 18 at the same speed of 15 metres per minute.

Disposed between the two afore-mentioned eyelets 15 and 16 is an electrical resistance 19 of spiral form, forming a cylinder 4 cm. high and 2 cm. in diameter.

At the moment when the two threads are assembled together they pass through this resistance, following the axis of the cylinder, where the temperature is 180 C.

The spiral deformation imparted to each of the threads at the moment when they are wound about one another, is fixed by the heat and has been definitively fixed in each of the threads received on the support elements 17 and 18.

In the example shown in Fig. 4 a 70 denier thread 22 having a base of polyesters, formed of 36 strands and having a twist of 30 turns per metre, is taken from a spinning bobbin 23.

The thread is drawn olf this bobbin, passed over a grid-type or other tensioning means 24 in order to give it a uniform tension, then it is wound 40 times about a small metal shaft 25 which is 6 cm. long and which is preferably grooved helically over 4 cm. of its length up to 1 cm. from each end by a groove 26 in the form of a screw thread or regular helix of 39 turns.

At each rotation of the shaft the groove is advanced by 1 mm. This groove is U-shaped and is /2 mm. wide and 1 mm. deep. The diameter of the shaft is 3 mm.

This shaft may revolve freely on its two end portions, which are mounted on two small bearings.

The small bearings are carried by the ends 27 of a housing connected to a heating plate 28 which is maintained at sufficient temperature to enable the shaft about which the thread is wound to be kept at a temperature of C.

After passing along the bottom of the groove 26, and in so doing turning 39 times in unison with the shaft 25, the thread 22 is driven at a regular spread of 12 mm. by the roller of a thread-feeding device similar to that of Fig. 6, later described herein, and is then received on a final support element 30.

threads is wound on 'a support According to another method of carrying out this process, there are used three denier monofilament untwisted threads 33, 34 and 35 (Fig. 5) of polyhexamethylene adipamide. Each of these threads is Wound on a spinning bobbin 36, 37 or 38.

These three bobbins are arranged in one vertical plane at the foot of the machine. Each of the threads issuing from these three bobbins is guided by an eyelet 39, 40 and 41 respectively located above each bobbin after passing-over a wetting roller 42 revolving in a tank 43 containing water; then the three threads are combined by a twist of 40 turns per 1 /2 cm. Each of the three threads is then driven separately by a thread-feeding device 44, 45 or 46 which moves the thread at a speed of 10 metres per minute. The threads are then received on bobbins 47, 48 or 49 respectively.

While the three threads are wound together by the twisting operation they rub over a cylindrical glass tube 50 of 4 cm. in diameter; this tube contains electrical resistances 50' which raise the outer temperature of the tube to 150 C.

Since the deformation of the thread has to be fixed by thermal means, this support may be itself the source of heat or may act as a vehicle for the heat.

In order to draw the thread or each of the threads to which a helical configuration is to be imparted, a simple method consists in subjecting it to a tensile stress by driving the support (tube, reel, bobbin) on which each treated thread is wound after the profiling operation; in this case the support from which each thread is taken should preferably provide a constant drag which maintains this tensile stress with as constant as possible a force of inertia, but should not be driven itself.

This method, however, has the disadvantage that the thread arrives at its support with a considerable tension, so that the pressure of the thread turns one against the other partially destroys the helical deformation which has just been imparted to the thread. In order to remedy this, it is proposed that each thread should be passed, after the permanent fixing of the deformation, over the rollers of a thread-feeding device (Fig. 6).

This thread-feeding device may be of standard type, such as those used for feeding the thread in doubling winder-twisting frames. It may consist of one or more rollers 51 and 52 revolving at a given speed, and around which the thread 53 passes a suflicient number of times for it to be driven at the peripheral speed of the rollers without the possibility of slipping or with very slight and constant slipping.

When it issues from the thread-feeding device the thread is received on to tension.

In certain cases the thread may be fed by two threadfeeding devices disposed one before and one after the zone in which the thread is deformed.

The number of turns by which each thread is wound about itself, or about one or more threads, depends on the length over which the twisting takes place. It depends also on other factors, such as: the nature and size of the thread, the number of threads assembled together.

As a rule, a relatively slight twisting gives less marked effects, whilst a more considerable twisting produces better effects but leads to greater difiiculties in execution.

It may be indicated, by way of example, that good results have been obtained with twists of the order of 1,500 turns per metre on two denier threads formed of continuous strands and composed of a synthetic substance, the twist being of a length of 10 to 50 mm.

Throughout their path of travel, and especially at each. end of the treatment zone where the deformation is carried out, the threads must be held in place by threadguides, eyelets or rollers.

It. has been observedthat in order to carry out the process it was indispensable to fix the deformations irnthe support 54 without any parted to the thread by this winding and twisting operation while the deformations were actually being produced.

This fixing may be efiected by different means: there may be provided a liquid or gas fixing the threads in the position which they assume at the moment when they receive the deformation which they are intended to retain. The means most commonly employed for fixing textiles are also applicable, since they are very easy to use and give equally good results. These latter means are the use of heat or water vapour at high temperature.

At the industrial stage it is preferred to pass the threads, at the moment when they are being deformed, through a chamber filled with vapour at the appropriate temperature, or through a hollow cylindrical tube or over a plate heated, for example, by electrical resistances or by infra-red rays.

The temperature should be as high as possible without the danger of any deterioration of the textile fibres occur- 'I 'he speed at which the threads will be driven along and the highest temperature which the threads can withstand are two closely inter-connected points. Both depend on the nature of the thread on which the process is carried into efiect.

This process is applicable with particularly good results to threads which can be fixed easily, and more particularly to thermoplastic threads.

The threads subjected to this process may be untwisted threads or threads with negligible twist, for example the twist received by the thread during spinning, but they may also have previously undergone a twisting, even a considerable twisting. They may also be doubled threads, composed of threads of different size or nature as the case may be.

The various threads intended to be wound together over several centimetres may also, in certain circumstances, be threads of different sizes and kinds.

As will be obvious, the invention is not limited to the possible embodiments which have been described in some detail hereinbefore, but it includes all other embodiments carrying this method of deformation into effect.

I claim:

1. The method of producing a permanent helical deformation in a two-ended textile thread which comprises the steps of winding an intermediate portion of said thread about another similarly wound cooperating thread portion to impart interengaging helical configurations to both of said thread portions, drawing said first-named thread portion starting with one end thereof whereby its other end approaches said cooperating thread portion and substantially the entire length of said drawn thread passes through one of said interengaging helical configurations, and continuously thermally treating the changing portion of said drawn thread which is disposed in said helical configuration to fix the helical deformation in said drawn thread which is imparted thereto during its passage through said helical configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of reeling in said drawn thread starting with said one end thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of applying a tensioning drag to a portion of said drawn thread which is about to enter said helical configuration.

4. The method of imparting a permanent helical deformation to a two-ended textile thread which comprises the steps of forming a loop in said thread intermediate its ends, winding two portions of said thread about each other to form mutually engaging helical configurations in said wound portions, each of said wound portions being disposed between said loop and one of the ends of said thread, drawing said thread, starting with one end thereof, whereby the other end approaches said engaging helical configurations, and substantially the entire length 9 Sald thread pa ses .t gh said loop and passes twice through said helical configurations moving simultaneously in opposite directions therethrough, and continuously thermally treating the two interwound portions of said thread disposed in said helical configurations to fix the helical deformation which is imparted to said thread before and after its passage through said loop.

5. The method according to claim 4, comprising the further step of reeling in said thread starting with said one end thereof.

6. The method according to claim 4, comprising the further step of applying a tensioning drag to a portion of said thread which is about to enter one of said helical configurations for the first time.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lockwood Sept. 25, 1877 Bills Mar. 8, 1904 Crossland Dec. 7, 1915 Dreyfus Mar. 15, 1938 Johnston Sept. 2, 1941 Castelli Sept. 29, 1942 Yellin Nov. 28, 1944 Heberlein Mar. 8, 1949 Beckman July 7, 1953 Mohr et a1. July 2, 195 

